X-FILES FROM THE VILLAGE - CHRISTMAS RUMBLINGS

 Monday 

As we grow old it is very easy to forget about things like "tsukulilo", those moving creatures we used to play with in the dust. Then the cassava pods which we used to balance on the tip and swing around. We would call them "mutukyele" as we sing "wachacha". Now we make cameras and planes out of paper for our young siblings! 

Tuesday 

We then pass by the village football field full of girls singing, wailing that you may think there is a death only to realise that the girls are hunting for ants "tsiswa". You hear the young girls calling onto the ants to come out to be eaten, in a sweet voice like the monster "Wanesilikhe" who wooed "Sela" in a sweet voice according to the common folktale. When the ants refuse to come out,  the girls' tone suddenly changes to cursing. You will typically hear them sing "woowoowoo woowoowoo tsingalabuyi, tsitanyisa kumurwe" meaning hunting for ants causes headache!

Wednesday 

After circumcision, the local surgeon commonly known as "umushebi" must induct the candidate about the basics to life. It is a long standing belief that boys don't spend much time with their fathers the way girls do with their mothers. It is therefore a pre-requisite for every boy that after initiation, they must be told things like not to urinate while on top a tree, not to sit on the cooking stone "liyika", not to sit on the mortar "shiwili" and to always respect their parents. Boys who don't undergo such inductions always turn out to be a disgrace to society, they say! 

Thursday 

If offered a meal by a man which rarely happens, you should not thank him after eating. The appreciation is always reserved for the mother of the house. Whether she is the one who cooked or your elder sister, after eating it is the mother to be appreciated. Even by the elder sister who could have cooked. "Mayi watekhele" or in  short "watekhele" is expected from all including father. We adore the woman who works hard to bring the food to the table! 

Friday 

Now is the time when people start selling off their animals and other valuables in preparation for Christmas. By now the families have prepared the animals to be slaughtered. They normally pool money monthly for this purpose. Everyone eats meat for Christmas. Some families prepare food from a central point on a rotational basis. Now that there is friction with the two families of Mwalye and Wanda, we don't know which family will attend and which one will boycot but it is in such times that families would come together to settle disputes at that round pot over a beer (malwa) party! 

Saturday 

There are generally 3 tough times for anyone who has been circumcised; when umushebi cuts a vein "kumusiya", the minutes after circumcision, "tsisaalila", and the third day when "umushebi - the local circumcision surgeon" comes to initiate you officially into manhood with the great words of wisdom. We call it "shabalye". On that day, removing the bandage from the wound can take 6 hours and whichever food they bring will always remain tasteless. But it is just a great moment when you command what to eat at anytime. 

Sunday 

You will always find a recently circumcised boy/man, who will call "umufulu" moving around in his sister's skirt or lesu. Those without sisters borrow their mother's and there is nothing wrong with that. In Bukyisu where imbalu is held in high regard and celebrated, umufulu is that boy who is nursing the circumcision wound, which honour lasts for at least a month and half. On a day like this, some years ago, we were wondering why Wanapwaka was taking longer to heal. Some woman suggested that it can be because of his big "member"? 

But till then, we shall keep you posted

X-FILES FROM THE VILLAGE - THE FERTILITY ROCK

Monday

There is a big rock in our area called "fertility rock". It is said that for people who are trying to find a baby, when they perform the required rituals, they are then taken to make love on that rock in broad daylight. Ritual has it that it works. 

That rock belongs to Wanda's family!

But now, Wanda Umuwalasi has converted to another
religion. Upto now smoke can be seen coming from the shrine that was burnt by the "church" that visited Wanda and converted him to their religion. Since then, the village has been experiencing strange things. The dogs have been wailing just like the way they do when they see a ghost. Last night, more than 3 owls were hooting all night. This is a sign of a looming disaster. Owls are announcers of bad news and this cannot be taken for granted. We therefore organized ourselves to chase the owls away by throwing burning pieces of wood toward them. Surprisingly, the owls would stop for few minutes and resume their haunting hoots. We tried until we gave up. 

Tuesday

Everyone concedes that Wanda has brought shame to his household and his clan at large. From when he allowed the church-people to burn down the home of the ancestors he has never come out of his house despite summons to the clan meeting. Today the last call was made to him or else the meeting will go on in his absence. Being head of the clan, Wanda is supposed to be the pillar and the person to hold the family together and carry the mantle to his elder son. 

He is the custodian of the sacred heritage of the family. Right now we can't know whether all these items were destroyed or not. Who else does not know the three-mouths pot that had been passed on to him from Nyeletsi to Washirekho, Wanda’s grandfather. 

Now we hear that the pot was broken.

Wednesday

Umukatsa, also called "village radio" for her perpetual gossip excitedly told us that the man who led the burning of the shrine has been struck by the ancestors "basambwa" and since he was rescued from the mob he has never been able to walk without support. He is said to be bedridden, "ali khushisyelo" as we call it. Shisyelo is derived from animal skin. Back then when there were no modern bedding, people who were struck by long term illnesses would be put on lisyelo as a more comfortable bedding. So the "brother" as commonly known has been condemned by the ancestors. 

The meeting happened and it resolved that the clan should elect another leader and Mwayafu was selected. The only problem is that he is not from the lineage of Soita. But everyone thinks that he is a better leader.

Thursday

Rituals were performed to have Mwayafu accepted as the clan leader and the first task given to him was to raise another shrine for the ancestors. Putting up a shrine is not as simple as building a normal house. "Bafumu" or sorcerers were called this time from Bunyole to oversee the whole process.

Friday

In performing rituals around the resting place or graveyard of the ancestors a huge snake sprung from one of the graves and bit Mukhwana, the twin brother to the late Wamono who died at Bumashebe on the way to Budwale. The traditional doctors were in handy to give first aid. A cloth was tied just below the knee to prevent poison from reaching the heart. They then cut "tsisalu" around the bite. The leg was swelling so fast but we were assured that it is nothing big

Saturday 

Mukhwana is recovering well but what is worrying is the meaning of the whole saga. A snake is a representation of both evil and custodial justice in our society and when  it bites a person, such is treated with a big measure of superstition. The construction of the shrine was halted, the people wanted Mwayafu as clan leader but the ancestors have rejected him.

Elkanah called his children and explained;

"A leader shall naturally emerge from and lead us against the perils that have befallen us. A leader of Bakyisu is never selected in a meeting or by ballot. A leader just emerges and he does not proclaim himself; he just connects with his people. But he must be from amongst us, one who is willing to lead, command respect and valor, He definitely cannot be Mwayafu who has even failed to tame his younger wife" 

Sunday 

What started as bitterness against Wanda has turned to a worry. People have started getting worried of what may become of Wanda now that Mwayafu has been rejected by the ancestors. The man who burnt the shrines is still down. 

Till then, we shall keep you posted!

X-FILES FROM THE VILLAGE - OUR ROOTS

Monday

When a person eats a lot of Bufukke and gets a bloated stomach, they will feel uncomfortable and start belching (ukhupa imbisha). Such persons are advised to sleep on a cold floor. Remember that there are two types of belching: one is out of satisfaction, and we call it khubetsakala, while imbisha is when the wind emitted through the mouth is actually smelly and is caused not by satisfaction but by overeating. Therefore, when one overeats, they are made to lie on the floor on their stomach for a few minutes, and after that, they will be fine, at least the discomfort goes. I do not know the link between the two, but we have seen it work on many occasions.

Bufukke is a mix of cassava, potatoes, and beans. The preparation starts with boiling the beans, which are prepared separately. The potatoes and cassava are steamed together until they are soft enough. At this point, the beans are added, and together they are mashed to form a smooth mold that is served with water or black tea. When eating Bufukke, it is always difficult for one to know that they have eaten a little too much until you drink water.

It was at this stage that Seperia started having difficulty breathing; he tried to call his wife but could not muster enough energy to call out his elder wife, whom we commonly refer to as Umukatsa. She was outside, in the kitchen.

From the kitchen, as if noticing that there was something wrong:

“Seperia,” Umukatsa called.

No response.

Tuesday

Seperia tried to respond, but could not. His belly was so full that there was no gap to allow him say a word. He thought that his stomach was going to burst, like how Wanesilikhe’s stomach burst after swallowing Selah. Sometimes, the tales of the Wanesilikhe when being recited to kids over and over and again would go to his head that he would come to think that it is true Wanesilikhe ever existed and used to occupy the hills of Bumanye in Bumasikye, or maybe those big caves of Wanale.

“O Seperia,” Umukatsa called again, which woke Seperia from the wild fantasies.

This time, it occurred to him that he could actually communicate with his wife the same way he talks to his cows in the wilderness. Still failing to mutter a reply, Seperia responded with a whistling.

“Ingwongele Bufukke (Should I add you Bufukke)?” she asked.

Again, Seperia responded with whistling.

“Namwe inguyile ikyewa? (Or I take you to the bush?)” (for that is how people call the latrine).

Seperia whistled back in the affirmative.

Wednesday

Umukatsa rushed to the sitting room where she had left her husband and assisted him to his feet. She slowly led him to the latrine, where Seperia spent some time before emerging with the limp of a person carrying a very huge load in his belly. He belched, looked at his wife, and smiled sheepishly. Communication born of the decades spent together. 

His wife understood him, and he knew it. How else could she have noticed that he needed help?

Together, they walked back to the house, and Umukatsa pushed their sleeping mat away to make room for Seperia to lie down to treat his bloated stomach. They made sure that Seperia was not seen in this condition before the grandkids returned from school.

Thursday

Seperia’s condition had normalized a little bit by supper time, and since he did not join his fellow men at the drinking point, Seperia chose to tell the children some stories.

“What do you want me to tell you about today?”

Before they could answer, he followed with another. As if he had already made up his mind on what story to tell.

Friday

“Do you know that all these Bakhamunyu, Banambutye, Ba’alasi, Bawabuyi, and other clans of Bakyisu are closely related by blood, born of a man who came from Ethiopia and settled around Masaba?”

“Long, long time ago, our grandfather, Mutinyo came wandering from Ethiopia and settled among a people called Barwa, who were at the time occupying the land around Masaba. Some people say that these people later changed from Barwa to Batwa, but it was among the Barwa that Mutinyo admired a girl whom he later married. That woman came to be known as Nabarwa, and it was she who made Mutinyo get circumcised, for among the Barwa, a man could not marry unless he is circumcised. That is where the custom of circumcision hails from among the Bakyisu. It was introduced by our mother, Nabarwa as a precondition for Mutinyo to win her over” 

Seperia was telling the story with clarity of a person who understood not only the geography of the region but also the politics and economics. The night time story would be ocassionally interupted by Umukatsa who would walk in to ask for something from her husband or one of the grandkids.

"Did Mutinyo have any brothers or sisters who are still there in that place you said he came from" one of the kids asked.

“Little is known of Mutinyo’s life in Ethiopia and what exactly caused his migration to settle around Masaba, but in those days, people used to wander and establish themselves away from their homeland. Even when he settled around Mt Masaba, Mutinyo had made friendship with a man called Watuwa, who was the leader of Babetsye, who had settled around present day Nyondo where the Catholics set their Mission.”

“Mutinyo and Nabarwa had many children, but most of them were killed by his in-laws. In the end, Mutinyo was left with only two sons (Nyeletsi and Washirekho) and a daughter, Namaulula. To save his lineage, Mutinyo decided to send his living three children to live with Watuwa among the Babetsye. Watuwa accepted to adopt Mutinyo’s children and integrated them with the people of Bubetsye.”

“The children of Mutinyo, when they grew up and married among the people of Bubetsye, would give birth to Bawabuyi and Banambutye from where most clans hail. Nyeletsi, who was the firstborn, gave birth to Wabuyi, Mutambo, and Lusambu in that order. These three split to become three clans. Washirekho, the second-born of Mutinyo, also gave birth to another branch of Banambutye called Bashibalayi, while Mutambo, Nyeletsi's second son is the father of the Banambutye of the Nyeletsi branch.” The kids were listening attentively as Seperia spewed the knowledge. Such is how history has been passed to generations.

Saturday

He continued “So the birthplace of most of our clans is Nyondo. When you go to places like Nabiiri, Nabumali, Khatwelatwela, you will find Bakatsa, Bakhamunyu, Bamasikye, Bawabuyi, Banambutye, and many other clans.”

“Of the three children of Nyeletsi, Mutambo settled in Manana near Watakhuna, Wabuyi settled in the plains of Busiu, and Lusambu continued farther west in present-day Bulusambu.”

Sunday

By now, Seperia’s words had become largely incoherent, some kids had started dozing and the attentive ones could not make sense of what he was saying. Slowly, his hands fell to his sides, and his chin dropped toward his chest. 

Shortly, Seperia started snoring loudly. One of the kids ran to their grandma to tell her that their grandfather had fallen asleep.

Umukatsa walked to where her husband had slumped in slumber, sent away the grandchildren, and lovingly led her husband to bed.

Till then, we shall keep you posted!

X-FILES FROM THE VILLAGE - DAYS OF UNCERTAINITY

Monday

“Ponyokho was the firstborn of Mushikoma and his wife, Wefura. Mushikoma himself was a son of Mutambo. Life was not kind to himMushikoma having been denied his mother’s care at an early age. He had to grow up faster to face what lay ahead of him. His short body stature was said to be a reflection of the weight of responsibility, having been left to fend for his siblings, Khabungala and Shangabo, after their mother was poisoned by their stepmother, Nasya. Nasya was the first wife of Mutambo. He met her at a music fete known as inemba. She is said to have hailed from Kenya.”

“For those unfamiliar with our history, the Banambutye clan was born of intermarriage between Nabarwa and Mutinyo. Mutinyo who had wandered from Ethiopia before settling in Masaaba, met Nabarwa, who later became his wife.” Elkanah was telling us the story of Bunambutye clan and how it came to be.

The young men gathered around Elkanah, eager to hear about their roots. But Elkanah, old and restless, could not hold his conversation to one topic. His mind wandered, and the tale shifted.

Tuesday

His eldest grandson tried to steady him: “Kukah (grandpa), you once said that history dies when it is not told. If you do not tell us where we come from, how shall we know where we are going? Tell us the story before your days of reckoning arrive. Our history is our culture, our culture is identity, our identity is our livelihood, it is who we are!”

Lately, Elkanah has got into a habit of telling many stories, but none, did he tell to completion. His mind kept drifting from one story to another. But those who were of his age whispered that misfortune had followed him, ever since the accusations that he had killed his own brother, Wotsomu was resurrected at Shangabo's burial.

Wednesday

It is said that during the reign of Idi Amin, Elkanah, Wotsomu, and Wabukala were not just blood brothers but also trading partners. Their smuggling business thrived after the departure of Indians whose expulsion had led to a shortage of basic supplies. Unlike others like Mabonga who was gifted the shop of Nanya, the Busiu-based Indian businessman who left the country, the 3 brothers were not so lucky. They decided to venture into smuggling coffee and cotton to Kenya while returning with salt, soap and sugar.

At 3pm every Monday, the group would gather at Musese, ready to head toward Kenya. Namunyo and Biraha, the caravan leaders of Greater Busiu, who were always armed with arrows and machete were no smugglers. Their role was to lead, watch out for soldiers, and guide the smugglers across the border. Once across, the smugglers would disperse into small groups mostly composed of family members - now like Ponyokho's family.

That day, the brothers set off in high spirits. At Lukhonge, also called Mutsukhi or place of many behives, they picked up Wafumbo before joining the larger group at Nambwa. Each man carried a sack of coffee or cotton, hoping to evade Amin’s soldiers, sell their goods, and return with soap, salt, and sugar. Those were hard times, they say. Times of scarcity. And at the same time, smuggling was a treasonous crime that could lead to instant execution. But the people were moved by the need of the time and others by the appetite for profit. To Kenya they went knowing that when they return, their wives will welcome them back with ululations and pride of warrior's mistress. A warrior who has conquered all the treachery to bring home what everyone was yearning for - salt, sugar and soap.

Thursday

Their first stop was Nangirima, where they rested for close to fifteen minutes. On that day, Wesuta’s cows had already occupied the upper part of the river and therefore had stirred the water and if not for the situation, no one would drink such water. Biraha reminded them that the next rest would be at Nanderema, near the border. Therefore whoever does not drink at Nangirima will have to soldier on till they reach a water stream called Nanderema.

In order for them to reach the border at dusk and avoid Amin soldiers, they wasted no time as they drank, dunked in, and cooled themselves from the scorching July heat. But here came Elkanah’s undoing. Swimming beside Wotsomu, he eased himself in the river. The mold drifted toward his brother, and Wotsomu cried out to the leaders. Elkanah was reprimanded for his actions and punishment accorded to him by Namunyo, one of the caravan leaders. It is said that this act of Wotsomu unsettled his brother and you could sense that he felt not only betrayed but humiliated, a feeling he carried all the way to the Kenya and border. Even pleas from Wabukala, their other brother could not bring his spirits back. Biraha thought it a bad omen for one of them to respond in such a manner to a punishment well deserved.

Friday

At Nanderema, Elkanah withdrew from the group. He did not drink of the water, he shunned conversation. Silent, but with his sack of coffee beans on the head, they walked on.

The caravan sluggishly pressed forward, passing Kwapa which welcomes them into the alien land of Bamia. Bamia is a reference made of people who are not of Bantu ethnicity, especially the nilotics and nilo hamites. 

At Lwakhakha, the leaders instructed everyone to stay off the main path as they scouted for soldiers. Finding none, the traders were guided and they skillfully swam across. For the 3 brothers who had grown up swimming in Manafwa, swimming across Lwakhaha was never a problem. But there was also Wafumbo who had to be crossed. The only reason they were nice to him was because of his mastery of Swahili language, he was the most eloquent of them.

While crossing Lwakhakha, Ugandan smugglers could dip their coffee sacks in the river, so that the wet beans would weigh more at sale to the traders in Kenya.

Saturday

Time check, 10pm and the  smugglers have descended on Kolait Market in Kenyatta’s kingdom, waiting for the next day to make their sales. Traders from Busiu normally sold their produce at Kolait Market, while the ambitious ones from Sibanga proceeded to Malakisi where they would sell at better prices.

Unlike when they are going, the return home would be in smaller family groups. But to everyone's surprise, Wotsomu did not return with his brothers, Wabukala and Elkanah. But Biraha swore upon his tongue that Wotsomu had crossed Lwakhakha to Kenya with the rest of the group. "Wele angala lulimi", he swore, his hand raised, the index finger pointing to the sky. Yet from that day, Wotsomu was never to be seen again. Suspicion fell heavily on Elkanah because he was the last person to be crossed by Wotsomu before disappearance. 

Sunday

Despite all this, among Bakyisu, the dead do not rest when they die mysteriously. They always visit the living in form dreams, and revelation to tell what took them and where they are so that their spirit which is the most important can brought back home to the clan.

A month after Wotsomu’s disappearance, he appeared to his elder daughter. She swore that her father had been killed and his spirit is lingering around Lwakhakha border. In her vision, a stone was tied to his body before the body was cast into the river. As to who did it, she could not tell. It will later be told how she led the family to the very spot where she claims her father's body was dumped and customs were made to evoke the spirit and carry it back home.

But in all this frenzy of suspicion and accusations, Wanda tried to dismiss the tale, claiming he had seen Wotsomu working on a farm in Kitale. But no one believed Wanda. After all, his tongue was known to respond faster than his brain which has earned him the nickname of ryeha. 

And so it is said, that the shadow of Wotsomu’s death remained, heavy upon Elkanah.

Till then, we shall keep you posted!